Published 6:30 am, Thursday, January 13, 2005

The donation, which was raised through a golf outing in October at the Wildcat Golf Club in Houston, will be applied to Westview's capital campaign, which aims to raise $3 million for a proposed middle school that will provide an academic curriculum to autistic children while attending to their special needs.

When completed, it will be one of the first facilities in Houston exclusively for high-functioning autistic children at the middle school level.

"This generous donation takes us another step further in our challenge to provide educational options to an estimated 400 autistic children who reach school age each year in Houston," said Jane Stewart, founder of the Westview School.

Tom Henderson, a past president of the Houston Chapter of Turnaround Management Association, said one of the association's primary initiatives is education.

"When these children reach middle school, there are very few options available," said Tom Henderson, whose son, college-bound in the fall of 2005, is a Westview alumnus.

"A child with autism requires a low student-to-teacher ratio, a highly individualized curriculum, and a structured and quiet environment free from bullying and taunting."

He said the association is "very pleased to include the Westview School and the services it provides for families with autistic children as a worthy recipient of our golf tournament fund-raiser."